Must eats and sees in Boston

[torakris]

I just decided yesterday to leave my 3 kids with my parents and take a 6 day solo trip to Boston to visit my newly married sister and husband, at the end of this month.

I have never been to Boston before and am looking eagerly foward to this trip (and the fact that I will have 6 days with no kids!), My biggest problem will be my very low budget since the one credit card I own isn't take in very many places in the US and I don't have a whole lot of cash.

I will be with my sister on Saturday and Sunday but from Monday to Thursday I will be on my own. What are some foods that I shouldn't miss and are there any good markets that I must see?

I will probably be eating lunch out on my own everyday and then cooking dinner for the 3 of us in the evenings, this will really be a joy as they both love food as much as I do.

My sister lives in Jamaica Plain and I will have have free use of her train pass during the week as the hospital she works at is just a 5 minute walk from her place, but any recommendations in the general area would be greatly appreciated.

[Suzanne F]

Take the T to Haymarket and walk through the open-air market. (I'm not sure about the days/times, but locals can tell you). Not only is the market fascinating, but if you check out the ground you'll see embedded artwork, very cool. Then walk through the North End -- a combination of "Little Italy" and American history (North Church of Paul Revere fame). The main drag has some very neat stores and restaurants -- years ago we ate at Calamari Cafe (not its official name, but I think that's what's painted on the window) and enjoyed it a lot; I think when I was last through that neighborhood about 18 months ago it was still there.

And Boston has a Chinatown, too, so inexpensive lunches are not an impossibility.

[agbaber]

I would recommend a place out on the B Green Line (take the Stop right after it curves to the left, then backtrack about 50 yards, and head the way the T was heading before it turned.

Carlos Cucina Italiana is there, and is excellent, under $20 italian.

On the same street (but get off right before it goes around the bend (a dunkin donuts and T anthonys will be on the corner). There is Brown Sugar Cafe. It is very good, again, under $20 Thai food.

Other than that, I can recommend China Pearl for sunday Dim Sum (expect to do a lot of pointing). Pho Pasteur (multiple locations) makes good, cheap Vietnamese.

If you dont feel like leaving, diningin.com delivers most anywhere in Boston, from most of the good places around.

[slbunge]

I'm new to living in Boston but I'll throw out a few ideas.

I think Suzanne has hit the mark with spending some time exploring the North End. Some food highlights of the North End:

Maria's (46 Cross St, accross from the remnants of the big dig, just down from the corner with Salem) for Italian pastries and baked goods. Very fine examples of sfogliatelle and cannoli. Less touristy and crowded than Modern Bakery (257 Hanover St).

Polcari's Coffee (105 Salem St) has the best lemon slush that is perfect for walking around on a warm day. Think 'Italian Ice' but far less sweet and with a very intense lemon flavor. The stuff is kept in these antique looking coolers on the stoop where you enter the store. Go in and ask them to scoop one up for you.

Dairy Fresh Candies (57 Salem St) has a huge selection of candies, nuts, spices. Great old store that is worth a peak for hard to find stuff used in baking.

Salumeria Italiana (151 Richmond St) has some fun, hard to find Italian food specialties. They also have a deli case with olives, cheeses, and meats for making a picnic lunch which might suit your price range.

Antico Forno (93 Salem St) is an inexpensive restaurant for lunch. They have a wood-burning oven for pizza and baked pasta dishes.

Daily Catch (323 Hanover) is supposed to have very good seafood but I have not been there yet. I have heard that lunch is the time to go because it is a very small restaurant.

Copp's Hill Cemetery (I think it is on Snow Hill St) is a great place to poke around if there isn't a huge bus full of tourists around. Fun to just walk around and attempt to read the tombstone.

Getting out of the North End, a few more ides for inexpensive lunches if you find yourself in these areas.

Chinatown: Mix Bakery (36 Beach St) has Bahn Mi that I have heard about several times but I have yet to try them (maybe this week?). Have heard that they are quite inexpensive.

South End or Cambridge: Formaggio Kitchen (268 Shawmut in South End, 244 Huron in Cambridge) are great cheese and specialty food stores. Nothing is cheap but you would likely be able to put together a very nice lunch of cheese and bread. The store in the South End is just south of Downtown and adjacent to Chinatown. I haven't been to the Cambridge store (I think it is likely much larger).

In general, we have found the Boston area to being very friendly for exploring on foot, with the subway to get farther afield. I'm sure you will have a great time. Let us know what you find.

[scrumdiddlyumptious]

The end of this month (July 2004) is when the Democratic National Convention will be in town. Roads, public transportation etc. will be closed left and right. I expect some restaurants will be thronged, others will be under-staffed (because nobody can get into town from the suburbs.) It won't be an optimal Boston experience, so just plan to be very very flexible. Stay away from the Fleet Center and you should be more or less fine.

[galleygirl]

Haymarket is only on Friday and saturday...You should go on Friday, and make sure you get a dollar slice at Haymarket Pizza...Toppings cost a quarter more.. I love the onion and oregano, but check to see what's hottest out of the oven...Pizzaria Regina in the North End(Endicott St, not Quincy Market) also serves slices at lunch, til they run out...you may wannah compare, then do all your elbowing and kicking at the market...

Dok Bua, outside of Coolidge Corner in Brookline, on the C-branch of the Green line, is the best authentic Thai in Boston. Really. I'm not kidding. Don't make me come after you...And it's cheap...And it's BYOB...Just don't get any of their lunch or dinner combos, they're dumbed down...

Taiwan Cafe in Chinatown is my favorite chinese for lunch...THEIR luncheon specials are plates the size of dinner for $6.95, and include soup...fabulous choices...

Chau Chow City is the best dim sum in Chinatown...You can get three or four plates for under $10...Unless you get the lobster dumplings....

Best Vietnamese in Chinatown is Nam Vang, on Beach Street...You can do lunch there for 6 or 7, too....Love the Bun Rieu, and their banh Xieo is the best...And, of course, the fish in clay pot....

Mix Bakery *is* the best Banh Mi, and they're $2...Its an old-style Chinese coffee-shop, tho, so you may wannah get it to go...OTOH, you could be the belle of the ball among the 70 year olds out for a kibbitz...

For cheap Portuguese accessible by T, try O Cantinho, a Portuguese coffee shop that does sandwiches, and meal-sized apps in Inman Sq., Cambridge...Love their stewed octopus....

[torakris]

Wow thanks for all of the info! I am planning to get a Boston Guide book from the library soon so I am more familiar with the place names.

I too am worried about the convention traffic, I am going to be there the exact time it is going on too, from the 24th to the 29th. My sister said it is going to mostly be on the North side so maybe if I stick to the South....

I tried to get a different week but the ticket prices were like $300 more! I thought $150 round trip to Boston (from Cleveland) was too good to pass up.

[kurl]

I went to -- and loved -- Kelly's Roast Beef. The title sandwich was really good, but the lobster roll was spectacular and totally worth the trip.

Edited July 13, 2004 by kurl (log)

[giovanni]

I've lived in and eaten my way through Boston for 20 years now .....

slbunge, while a newcomer, is right on with his/her (?) recommendations. I'd add a few additional thoughts:

For marketing:

1. In addition to the other places mentioned in the North End, try Sulmona (on Richmond street I believe) which is a terrific butcher shop;

2. For "the very best" meat-buying (but much more expensive than Sulmona), try Savenor's on Charles Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. Fabulous prime cuts of beef, veal, lamb, pork and many exotics as well.

3. For lobsters, J. Hook on the waterfront near the Boston Harbor Hotel (5 minute walk from the North End).

4. For produce, any of the Whole Foods Markets (I believe there is one proximate to Jamaica Plain), which, in my opinion, beat the Haymarket hands-down in every category except for atmosphere/charm (which still makes Haymarket worth a visit).

5. For bread, Hi Rise Bakery in Cambridge (near Formaggio Kitchen, which was mentioned by slbunge [a must-see, world-class cheese/specialty food shop --- but make sure to visit the "flagship" Cambridge location versus the "satellite" South End location, there's no comparison]).

For cheap eats/lunch:

1. If you go to Hi Rise Bakery, you can also eat lunch there --- awesome sandwiches, homemade soups, salads;

2. Tim's Tavern, on Columbus Avenue straddling the South End and Back Bay, serves one of the world's great (and largest) hamburgers for very short dollars. It's a bit of a "dive", but a classic nonetheless (great tunes on the jukebox);

3. Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe, also on Columbus Avenue, is a 70+ year old neighborhood institution serving awesome breakfast 6 days a week (closed Sundays). Try the pancakes, the omelettes or the house specialty turkey hash;

4. In the South End on Tremont Street, try B&G Oyster Bar and/or The Butcher Shop, both owned by local celeb chef Barbara Lynch of No. 9 Park fame. These two gems sit across the street from one another, and both offer great lunch options. B&G serves a wide assortment of oysters on the half shell, a terrific New England lobster roll, and many other seafood choices. The Butcher Shop is both a butcher shop and wine bar. Sit at the bar and enjoy many fine wine choices by the glass and a daily list of light lunch specials/sandwiches. It's a taste of Italy in the South End.

Enjoy!!

[giovanni]

BTW, just noticed that you're the forum host for Japan. Do I dare suggest sushi??

There are several "usual suspects" that are generally recommended, but I'd guess each would fall short of your standards. If the urge strikes, however, to try something a bit different in the sushi vein, something of extremely high quality (and also very expensive) you might want to consider going to Clio, which is Ken Oringer's restaurant in the Lenox Hotel on Massachusetts Avenue. A couple of years ago, Oringer added a separate sashimi (no rice served) bar called Uni. It is an experience. Tasting menus, available at various levels of expense, are the way to go with expert guidance from the chef (sometimes Oringer himself) manning the bar.

Also, if you'll be cooking asian, I understand that the Super 88 Market (in Allston-Brighton, probably accessible via the green line) is the place to do your provisioning (though I am no expert in asian cooking).

[Busboy]

If I had access to a kitchen, I'd be tempted to do an Italian Sausage degustation after spending an afternoon going from butcher to butcher in the North End. Pizzaria Regina is alsoworth a drop-by.

Is the Union Oyster House still going? A chance to eat oysters where Danial Webster once did is worth taking. Probably not cheap, so maybe just a beer and couple of plumpers before wandering into the North End for those sausages.

Also, Boston is the home of those hot dog buns that are sliced so you can grill them on butter on both sides -- a truly low-budget gourmet treat.

[galleygirl]

Did anyone notice that Torakris asked for locations that dealt with those of modest means? Uni, the sashimi bar at Clio, is the most ridiculously overpriced restaurant in town...An abstemious lunch there would still probably hit $75, and you'd still walk out hungry....The tasting menu soars toward $200, if you drink sake...

B&G and The Butcher Shop are stiill very little food for a very lot of money...It's nice to be able to rattle off the hot new places in town, but it really seems like it won't hlp the OP in her goal...Don't get me wrong, I love barabara Lynch's food...perhaps the cheapest way to enjoy it is the daily prix fixe lunch at No.9 Park, 3 courses for $27...But again, for some, that wouldn't be very budget conscious....

Union Oyster House is a good idea for an oyster fix before you hit the North End...The raw bar is the only thing worth eating there; clams, oysters or steamers if you want cooked...I usually ask the shucker if the clams or oysters are better on any particular day....

Also at J.Hook, $8 lobster rolls, house-made...A great deal, but they don't toast the bun...

[agbaber]

Uni is truly amazing. I had the best meal of my life (to date) there. The time that stands out was the time that I got the tasting menu. Before, I had just been ordering off the menu, and it had ranked in the top 10. When I told them "I've want to spend about $250 for two, gimme whatcha got!" It was absolutely amazing. And I've eaten in some good places.

Make sure you try their "Enter the Dragon" cocktail, which is, also, my favorite cocktail. (Vodka, lime juice, and cayenne pepper)

My mini-uni review:

Uni

The Eliot Hotel

370A Commonwealth Ave. (Massachusetts Ave.)

Boston, MA 02215

617-536-7200

Rating: ♠♠♠♠♠ (out of 5)

Cost: $$$$ ($60+)

These days everyone in Boston has access to extremely high quality fish. Chef Ken Oringer still manages to take a giant leap ahead of the other normal Japanese themed restaurants with Uni, his sashimi bar located in his French restaurant, Clio. Uni itself actually originated as Clio’s bar area, just off to the side and down a few stairs from Clio’s entrance. Now, the small bar has been turned into a one-chef, two server, romantic and luxurious sashimi bar. They do not take reservations, but even for how small it is (about 20 seats), I have never had to wait for a table. The décor is impeccable, the small black bar dominates the room while the soft white lighting sets everything in perfect illumination. Both the food and the service here are absolutely flawless. Since the wait staff is so minimal, it is very common to be recognized on the second or third visit. The menu may seem small until you realize that it is small for a reason; it is the only way to provide the absolute highest quality seafood from around the globe. From surf clam to poke (an absolutely outstanding dish of Yellow Fin Tuna), the solo sashimi chef does an excellent job both conversing with customers and getting orders out in a reasonable time. If fact, many of the items on the menu do not come from the sashimi bar. The dishes from the kitchen, such as the airy, crispy tempura, delicate foie gras and juicy and tender kobe beef (served with five different salts) are every bit as good. Uni remains more expensive then a casual sushi bar ($60+/person) but the quality of the food more than makes up for it.

Edited July 13, 2004 by agbaber (log)

[giovanni]

Gotta agree with agbaber (on Uni) and disagree with galleygirl (in part re: Uni, and completely re: B&G and The Butcher Shop).

Uni is truly special, as, I believe, accurately described by agbaber. But it IS (as I said in my original post) very expensive, as noted by galleygirl. Nonetheless, for a splurge occasion (and I know that Torakris is looking for budget-minded options --- see my other rec's), Uni leaves a diner exhilirated and more than satiated.

As for B&G and The Butcher Shop, "hot" does not always equal "mediocre", as evidenced by the fact that both of these places --- now open more than/almost a year and well-beyond the attention span of the ever-so-fickle see-and-be-seen crowd --- continue to do great business. Why? Because they're good and reasonably priced (not exactly cheap, but nowhere near expensive). The Sheryl Julian review below gives some of the price points at The Butcher Shop --- and none of the portions there, based upon my own personal experience, can be called "very little food." The sandwiches/panini are huge and reasonably priced ($9 for the roast beef version on Julian's visit). By comparison, the prix fixe three-course lunch at No. 9 Park (and I really like No. 9 Park, don't get me wrong) for $27 (excluding anything to drink), will leave you hungry.

See the Julian review of Butcher Shop below:

A NEIGHBORHOOD PARTY AT THE BUTCHER'S

Author(s): SHERYL JULIAN Date: December 25, 2003 Page: 6 Section: Calendar

I was describing the Butcher Shop recently to some people who had never been there and I realized that halfway through my story - no matter how detailed I got - they wouldn't be able to picture this place. I'll try again: At the entrance, there's a bar on one side and a row of seats along the windows at the other. Yes, it is really a butcher shop in the back, with the finest naturally raised organic meats money can buy. The shop also serves the same little meaty meals it offers at dinner during lunch. At night, when the foot traffic starts along Tremont Street, the 800-square-foot space turns into a neighborhood party.

You see, the space really lends itself to partying. There are only a few tables, so mingling is easy, and the large butcher block at the back of the shop, where the meat cutting is done during the day, turns into a dining table at night. Picture a block the length and width of a king-size mattress. There are no seats, so you order and stand while you eat. The effect is that you think you've stumbled into the city's greatest culinary secret, that you've slipped into an exclusive club.

The six-week-old spot is the latest venture of Barbara Lynch, who has received acclaim as the chef and owner of No. 9 Park on Beacon Hill. With Peter Niemetz's stylish design - the walls are chalkboard and offer the specials of the day in delightful calligraphy - and Barcelona native Pep Vicente running the place, the Butcher Shop is incredibly popular. On a busy night, 100 people can come through the place, some stopping to have a glass of wine after putting their name on the list at B&G Oysters Ltd., across the street. Vicente says that some people eat fish first and then come over for some meat ("surf and turf," he explains).

The oyster spot is Lynch's second project. Both oyster and butcher were in the works before the chef found herself pregnant. She's due in February, so running three restaurants couldn't be easy. Her husband, Charles Petri, watches her like a hawk. She spots us standing at the butcher block one night and he wanders over later to sing her praises. That might sound insufferable - standing for three hours listening to the owner's husband talk about her for half of that time - but when the visitors agree completely, somehow it's not. Lynch's imagination and culinary ability are admirable.

Vicente pours generous glasses of wine in beautiful Spiegelau glasses, which are large and well-made and feel wonderful in your hand. (This and Lynch's other three wine lists are managed by the talented Cat Silirie.) We break off a piece of the tender Sel de la Terre baguette, inhale Sel's ciabatta, a looser-textured loaf, and wait for our dinner to arrive. Jason Bond is the chef here, and Lauren Resler the pastry chef.

Frisee salad ($10) contains only the pale green curly leaves of this frizzy lettuce, scattered with matchstick-thin haricots verts, and drizzled with a truffle-scented vinaigrette and some hazelnuts. About eight bites in all.

The roasted marrow from beef bones on toast ($6) is a second act in dining in miniature: six slices of bread with a silver-dollar piece of warm marrow on each. There is also coarse sea salt for sprinkling and haricot verts to nibble. Marrow is rich and luscious in the same way that foie gras is. In fact, you shouldn't eat a lot. We would have eaten more.

Tartare ($14) is made from the fresh beef on the premises (it's one of the only places on earth that I would eat raw beef). It comes in a little pot, the ground beef mixed at the last minute, Pep Vicente explains, with a slightly vinegary tomato sauce, cornichon pickles, onions, and capers. This beef melts in the mouth, and it's divine on thin triangles of housemade brioche toasts.

The charcuterie plate ($17, which is easily enough for two) is full of riches, including boned rolled chicken slices, rillettes, pork terrine wrapped in leek leaves, divine foie gras with a sparkling gelee. An irresistible roast beef panini ($9) is made on slices of the Sel de la Terre bread and pressed in a grill so that the meat is hot.

Some nights, when it's quite chilly, Lynch makes a big stewy pot, so you might be offered something typical of a French brasserie: a cassoulet, coq au vin, or a choucroute garni, all between $12 and $14.

It's an evening of forbidden fruits, a year's worth of meat and fat in an hour. But we're still hungry. We finish with a platter of cheeses, then ask for a few macaroons. They are tiny airy sandwiches, some chocolate, some almond, that melt on the way down.

Tea comes in cups with lids, which act as teapots (they're more cute than functional). Every glass, cup, and plate is the highest style, and even if your teapot lid falls into the cup and you've been standing eating for three hours, it seems like a small price to pay for feeling like an insider in Boston's hippest corner.

[galleygirl]

I can't imagine any meal at Uni costing $60, if that were the case, I'd be there much more often...;)

As far as Sheryl Julian's review of the Butcher Shop, while those in the neighborhood love it, reviews on chowhound, by those South End denizens, seem to point to quantities taking a dip since those early reviews....

[galleygirl]

How could I have forgotten, my favorite cheap gem....

Floating Rock, in Revere, Revere Beach stop on the Blue Line, will totally blow you away...The best Cambodian I have ever had, friends who've traveled there claim it's the same as the mother land....this place has all the ambiance of a coffee-shop, and closes aroung 7:30, but it's great for lunch...Jackfruit and coconut milk soup, tiger's tears, and don't miss the long bean salad with prahok.....

Makes the wimpie, gentrified stuff at Elephant Walk hang its head in shame....

[Busboy]

It's been a long time since I lived in Boston (anybody remember Governor Dukakis?) but I wonder if one of the locals knows of a decent place in the old Portugese neighborhood in Cambridge. That might fit the low-budget theme, and get torakris into a someplace new and different.

[9lives]

While Uni is great, in no way could it qualify as cheap eats..I spent over $200 pp there. Think prices comparable to Nobu...$60 would get you 3-4 appetizers and a glass of water...cliorestaurant.com has a link to the menu.

I'm a big fan of Barbara Lynch..love #9 and B & G..I've bought meat at Butcher Sop but haven't eaten at the bar...all great, but a long way from cheap eats..no9park.com links to the menus.

Cheap eats..Pizzeria Regina..only North End location. Il Panino (not Express) on Parmenter off Hanover..NE. Dok Bua in Brookline for Thai. Taiwan Cafe and Nam Vang..Taiwanese and Vietnamese in Chinatown. Chacarero..Chilean sandwiches in downtown crowwing..midweek lunch only..Chilean sandwiches

[9lives]

Atasca is mentioned as a good Portuguese place..reasonably priced. There are a few others..O Cantinho? Haven't been lately but generally hear good things.

[agbaber]

Over $200 pp? I'm guessing thats with cocktails, sake, and the $100/pp tasting menu?

When I go with my family, (usually 1-2 cocktails between me and my father), the bill is only $240-280.

When I go with a companion, and get 2-3 drinks, and order off the menu, its usually 200-220.

I would love to go and spend $200 per person, but sake is one of those things that I still haven't acquired enough of a taste for to spend a lot on at a place like Uni. Plus I just love the Enter the Dragons so much.

Even the time that I went and had a really, really incredible meal, I only spent about $100 pp and we got about a dozen courses.

When you spend 200, how many courses do you generally get? And whats the ratio between sashimi bar and kitchen? You've got me really interested now.

[liamdc]

If you like beer, take a tour of the Sam Adams Boston Breweryin Jamacia Plain. It's one of the better brewery tours I've been on. Plus, it will be away from the hectic Fleet Center/downtown area.

[ludja]

A few other favorites:

Mike's Pastry in the North End. Besides fresh-filled cannoli, I really like their "pasticiotto" -- stuffed cream cheese/ricotta pies. (I think they sell with either custard or ricotta filling--I'm a huge ricotta fan so I always get the latter). These have a great dough and the overall effect is not supersweet but very good. They have a huge selection--also good amaretti and pignoli cookies...

Durgin Park is another classic--one of the older restaurants in Boston. I remember eating hear with my parents before they renovated the whole Quincy Market/Fanueil Hall area-- you were walking through abandonded buildings to get there! The menu is in the link and you can get all kinds of traditional Boston/New England food for reasonable prices--clam chowder, fish cakes, hot dogs, baked beans, fried oyster sandwiches, and indian pudding for dessert!

I don't know the name of it, but my sister that lives in Boston now says there is an incredible cheese store at the Haymarket with great selection and very good prices. Maybe this description will ring a bell with some locals.

The Union Oyster House (Near North Beach and close to Quincy Market) can be reasonable depending on what you order and is a great place for oysters or clams on the half shell or oyster stew. It is reputedly one of the oldest restaurants in the U.S. and it has a wonderful atmosphere. By chance you could get seated at the booth that J.F.K. (as a junior senator) used to frequent on a weekly basis.

Legal Seafoods (a few different branches) is not cheap overall--but they do have a killer clam chowder (creamy, full of clam flavor and not too thick!! (ie. gummed up with flour). If not for a full meal, go to their beautiful bar areas and have a cup of chowder, some great sour dough bread, toss a pat of butter on top of the chowder to melt and some common crackers. Sip a nice Sancerre or Sauvignon Blanc along side.... Hmmm... I wish I were there right now...

[bluekale]

Atasca is mentioned as a good Portuguese place..reasonably priced.

Yes, it certainly is. I have recommended it before, and I will recommend it again. I like the smaller of the two locations, which is on Broadway between Harvard and MIT, better.

Edited July 14, 2004 by bluekale (log)

[9lives]

Over $200 pp? I'm guessing thats with cocktails, sake, and the $100/pp tasting menu?

When I go with my family, (usually 1-2 cocktails between me and my father), the bill is only $240-280.

When I go with a companion, and get 2-3 drinks, and order off the menu, its usually 200-220.

I would love to go and spend $200 per person, but sake is one of those things that I still haven't acquired enough of a taste for to spend a lot on at a place like Uni. Plus I just love the Enter the Dragons so much.

Even the time that I went and had a really, really incredible meal, I only spent about $100 pp and we got about a dozen courses.

When you spend 200, how many courses do you generally get? And whats the ratio between sashimi bar and kitchen? You've got me really interested now.

5 or 6 chowhounds sat at the sushi bar and had a $125 tasting menu..few "enter the dragons" and some sake, dessert with tip it was appx $225 pp.

We didn't have full orders of anything but maybe a dozen small plates..some that I recall was some raw scallop, rare grilled kobe beef, picchu rochas (sp)..a peruvian barnacle that is very rare, toro, uni and caviar... We also had a few desserts which were very good but I can't recall what they were.

While everything was very good, I think the general feeling was that it was grossly overpriced for what it was. I know that was mine.

[TrishCT]

It's been a long time since I lived in Boston (anybody remember Governor Dukakis?)

--I have his autograph from when he stopped by the Brockton Fair as... Lieutenant Governor.